Red Knight of Hearts
by Hikarifanfics
Summary: With the war in Wonderland at it's peak, Ace is called to help fight. Can Alice do something even though everyone tells her she's just a foreigner? AceXAlice.
1. Part 1

When she came to Wonderland, the territories were at war. The the time she had spent there made her fully believe, with all of her heart, that they were almost at peace. But, unbeknownst to her, something else was creeping up – a ruthless, violent, bloody war. A war that would challenge her very feelings of security, to say the least.

Sounds of far off gun shots could be heart from the Clock Tower, at which the foreigner resided. "Julius, you're sure you're not going to be pulled into this war with everyone else?"

The man sighed, putting down his wrench and taking off his glasses, rubbing the arch of his nose. "Alice, if every time there was a war here and we got dragged into it, there would _be _no neutral area at all."

"B-but, what about everyone else?"

"The other role holders, other then giving the commands on how to fight, haven't been involved in a war for ages, not saying it can't happen, just that it's unlikely is all."

"What's going to happen then?"

A loud boom could be heard coming form the Hatter's Mansion. "Looks like Gowland's finally made his move at the mafia."

She looked confused at the man. "Aren't they attacking Vivaldi? Won't they be understaffed?"

"Don't underestimate Blood and the rest of them, it's Vivaldi you should be worried be worried about. Right now, the castle is very understaffed. If this carries on, Ace or Peter may have to get involved. If that happens, it most likely will cause a ripple effect, then all hell will break loose."

"Then can't I-"

"Do something?" he said in a harsh tone. "What could you do? You can't fight, you can't even defend yourself. Seeing people cut down is common for us, what about you?" She looked away form his piercing gaze. "You're just a foreigner who can't do anything but sit back and watch."

"But, couldn't I-"

"A foreigner is a foreigner. If you hate fighting, then don't go in a war zone. You're life is irreplaceable, while our's are not."

She lowered her head. It hurt her hearing Julius say such cold words toward her. _A foreigner, a foreigner, a foreigner. _His words ran in her head, piercing her heart every time. She was a foreigner, but she could surely, do something, right?

He silently sighed, clutching his fists. She was fragile, breakable in so many ways. She wasn't like him, like the other role holders. But, she was also like them, also having a role to fulfill – the role of the foreigner. But, also unlike them; her role wasn't always filled immediately, because it wasn't needed.

"Having fun? It's rare seeing you two fight," said Ace, leaning against the doorframe. He laughed at the two's shocked faces as he walked over to Julius. Then he dropped a bloodstained bag which fell onto the desk with a loud clunk.

The Mortician looked down, observing the bad of clocks. "Isn't this a lot, or rather," he looked back down at the bag full of clocks, "isn't this more than you've ever given me?"

"For old times sake."

"What are you talking about, Ace," interrupted the girl.

"Last batch."

"You don't mean to say?"

"That's right!" he laughed. "I was called to do my job. Once I go, the others will come too. I'm not so worried about the cat than I am the twins. Then there's Elliot – not that much of a problem."

"The ripple effect," muttered Julius, hands folded, resting his chin on them, his eyes closed, deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Alice stood there in complete distress, silently listening to their conversation. "Why did everyone just start fighting all of a sudden?"

"It wasn't sudden, just postponed. Since Alice arrived, it threw everyone off. You could say it was a time of peace...only for a while." Her eyes were filled with sadness, making even the knight not able to laugh it off. "I'm sorry, Alice," he said, bending down and running his fingers through her hair. "Goodbye," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

Her sorrow-filled eyes widened with a shock, but as he took his lips off her, once again, filled with sadness, knowing all too well, that when he finished, he'd disappear, leaving to fulfill his duties as the Knight of Hearts. And, leave he did, all the while the girl watched his back from the window until it couldn't be seen anymore.

She opened her mouth wide, and with strong determination shouted, "Julius! I'm going to see Gowland!" She didn't look back at him and she didn't wait; she ran.

"Alice!" the man jumped up in protest, but was too late. "It would have been safer if you'd of just stayed here. But, that isn't much like you to just sit back and watch, is it?"

He took a glance out the window. Her figure slowly disappeared from his view. "I'm sorry Alice."

.

"Gowland?" called Alice, hands cupped to her mouth. She sighed. "Where is everyone?"

The place was deserted, not a soul there, besides the girl. Not even one trace of Boris or Gowland.

"Alice, what are you doing here?"

"BORIS!" shouted Alice, turning around. "_Where _have you been? No," she corrected, shaking her head, "where's Gowland? I need to talk to him?"

"Well, you're not gonna find anyone here. But, if you need to talk to the old man, I can take you to him," he offered.

"Really?"

"Be warned, he's in a rather bad mood," he warned her, turning around to guide her to him.

.

"Gowland?" she called, knocking on the door. "It's Alice. I'm sorry for intruding on you."

He looked up from the detailed map of wonderland and walked to the door. "Ah, and what brings you here, sweetie?"

She laughed, breathing a sigh of relief. "Sorry for intruding."

"Not at all! Alice is always welcome here! Whenever you feel like it, just come on over."

"Thanks; I'll do that."

"What did you want to talk to him about?" reminded Boris.

"What'd ya need?"

"Well," she began, "I wanted to talk to you about the war."

His face became serious. "So, I'm guessing Julius couldn't hide it anymore?"

Alice laughed. "It's kinda hard to when even I can hear it. He also told me you attacked Blood. Are you okay?"

The man sighed, running his fingers threw his hair. And in a serious voice, replied, "What all do you know?"

"I know Julius isn't gonna fight, Blood's attacking Vivaldi while you're attacking Blood," she stopped, and looked down at the ground. "And I know Ace is fighting," she whispered.

Both role holders looked at her in silence. "Alice, I don't think you should get involved in this. Stay with Julius...It's safer there," he whispered.

"Alice is just a foreigner, after all. You shouldn't get involved with things that don't concern you," said Boris.

Her eyes widened. Again. Again she was called a foreigner and disregarded. "It does!" she shouted, before dashing off.

"Alice," they both yelled. But their efforts were in vain, for by the time it reached her, she was long gone.


	2. Part 2

"We're very sorry, but no one is to enter," apologized the guard, who was standing watch over the entrance to the castle. "This is an order from the queen herself. 'No one, not even Alice, is to disturb me. Only Ace and Peter may come in, but only on matters regarding the war,' was what she said"

Alice sighed. "I'm sorry for causing troubles." She bowed and left.

Vivaldi, in her own way, had also said she wasn't important, she was just a foreigner who shouldn't get involved in a dangerous war. But really … where was the war?

She spun her head around, taking in her surroundings. What did she know? There was a war, but … there was no war? That couldn't be right. There were just ...

"Alice? What are you doing here? I thought for sure that Julius wouldn't let you go out," rang Ace's voice.

The foreigner moved her eyes down to the ground where she heard the voice coming from, only to find Ace's head sticking out from the bushes. But, that wasn't surprising knowing the knight. He always did things like this. "He didn't," she replied, folding her arms and sticking her nose up in the air. "I ran away."

His face brightened up. "Alice ran away form Julius!"

"Because he kept saying 'foreigner this' and 'foreigner that!' There's more important things about me than being a foreigner!" she bellowed in rage. "To everyone I'm just a foreigner,"she whispered.

"Of course there's something more important — your heart."

She laughed, turning her angered face. What was she expecting him to say?

"But," he continued, "without Alice, there would be no heart, so Alice is very important."

Even if she was just being seen as a vessel, his words made her happy. He was the only one that seen importance in her. In his eyes, she wasn't just a foreigner. But, this thought made her wonder if any foreigner will do so long as they have a heart. "Will any heart work for you?"

"Nope! Only Alice's."

"Why?" she questioned.

"Because a man's heart wouldn't pound when I'd put my ear on their chest," he said, as if it was an obvious fact.

"So any _girl's _heart would work?"

"No," he denied sternly, "only Alice's heart will do."

"W-w-w-war!" she blurted out, face red. "What happened to the war?"

He tilted his head, "About that..."

...

It was a sunny day, and to be honest, it was rather blinding. The knight put his hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun's rays.

Earlier that day he had gotten orders that he was supposed to go out to war. After finishing Julius' job for him he had left. But, that was hours ago. Now, instead of at the war site, he was somewhere lost again in Wonderland.

Vivaldi had had strict instructions: "Go straight to the war zone – The Hatter Mansion. No dillydallying will be permitted. Unless orders come from Peter, you know what to do. This is a war. And if you fail, I'll order you're head off." She had mad the 'off with your head' part quite clear – she was serious about this.

But, like always, he had gotten lost. So much for him keeping his head after this. When word got to Vivaldi that he wasn't there, he knew he was in trouble. Be it troublesome or a waist of time, she would have his head, and he knew this for a very good fact.

"I wonder where I am?" he questioned, looking all around. "I wonder which way to go, too," he added.

It was just then that he saw Alice looking around. (If he had been going any faster, he most likely wouldn't have noticed her.) Was she lost?

He popped his head out of the bushes and with his hands, separated the bushes. "Alice? What are you doing here? I thought for sure Julius wouldn't let you go out?"

…

"...And that was basically what happened!"

"Either way you look at it, your just lost. It would have been so much easier if you'd just say that you were lost. But, the war...is still going on right?" she whispered.

"You don't like it, do you?"

"Not at all! It's not right to have a war! We were all getting along quite well, if you ask me. Fighting isn't the only way to solve things! Taking things out works as well!"

He lowered his head, bangs shielding his eyes. "Which is why you're a foreigner and will always be a foreigner. Did you really think you could come in here and just change everyone like that? That's not how we are, Alice. Fighting is the only thing we know how to do. It's who we are. And that, Alice, is something that can't be changed. Even if we don't fight, it's in our blood, our very existence. So, sooner or later, that's the way it has to be. Can a foreigner like you do anything at all about this?"

"I can at least try, can't I? You never know unless you try. And if I fail, I'll just get right back up again and again, how ever many times it takes, and keep trying until you won't fight."

"Why?" he muttered. "Why would you go so far?"

"Because … because...just because!" she snapped, turning her bright red face and folded her arms once more, not wanting to look at the man.

He sighed as he lifted himself up, stepping out of the bushes he was in. "Alice, I–"

"ALIIIIIICE!"

The two, Ace and Alice, quickly turned around after hearing the voice, only to find Peter running full speed ahead at the foreign girl.

With a quick movement, Ace stepped in front of the girl, completely blocking Peter. "For now, Alice is off limits." He smiled. "Is there something you need?"

He stopped a few feet before impact with the man. "Vivaldi ordered me to come tell you _and _Alice that the war has been canceled."

"Huh? Canceled? Why?"

"It's all because of you, Alice!" he beamed proudly. "After you left, Vivaldi got word and was very mad that no one let you in, so she went to talk to Julius, who told her what you said, along with the other two that were there. And after hearing that, she thought that you might have gone out to the war zone, since you weren't at Julius' and called the whole thing off! Isn't that great, Alice?"

The girl, not being able to support herself anymore, fell onto her knees on the ground. Her heart was beating ferociously and her eyes were about ready to cry. "That's great. That's so great."

Ace bent down at her side, extending his gloved hand out to her face. "And who exactly are you crying for?" he asked, his words full of uncontrollable malice.

"What are you talking about?"

"This conversation doesn't involve you, Sir Peter. You can report that Alice is safe and sound and was not hurt!"

"Wha? Why should I?"

"Isn't that what you were told to do?" he questioned, his voice becoming darker.

He stared at the man for a few seconds before turning around and heading back to report to Vivaldi that Alice was safe and unharmed.

And, once Peter was out of sight, the man started up again. "So, who are you crying for?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

"You wanted to stop this war because of someone, right? Who was it?"

"It...it's not...like that," she whispered, her voice growing faint.

"Then what's it like? Tell me, Alice, what's it _really _like?" he whispered into her ear.

By now, the tears had all stopped, but her face was still red. "It's just that...if you...went into the war then everyone would have to get dragged into it. I think Julius called it...'the ripple effect.'"

"Was it _really _for everyone? You know, that hurts my feelings?"

"Well, it's..."

He laughed. "You sure are good at seducing people, Alice."

"That's not it!" she screamed. "I'm not trying to do anything like that! I don't want them to fall in love with me! I just wanted this war to be over because I didn't want you to–" She stopped. There was no way that she was going to finish that sentence. No way.

"You didn't want me to what? Go on, finish your sentence."

"I...I...It's really nice out today, isn't it?"

His face turned into a frown, displeased with the girl's answer. He lifted his hand and pulled her arm, making it so she was on top of him, her face inches away from his. "What about me?" he asked again. "What were you going to say about me? And I won't accept anything but the truth. So, if you don't give me the answer I'm looking for, I'll have to give you a punishment!" He smiled.

"Wha?"

He placed his hand over her mouth. "Think carefully, every word you say is an answer."

She lowered her face, making it so she couldn't see his face. "...That...the..."

"Go on."

"If...if you were to...go and not come back, then I..." She shook her head. "I want an answer from you! What do you think about me, Ace? I'm not telling you anything until you answer me!"

He blinked in surprise. Honestly, he hadn't expected her to say that. "I love you."

"See! Not even you ca...ca...love?"

The man smiled. "I love you, Alice."

She stayed there frozen in place.

"What do you think of me? Oh, you don't have say it, but I'll punish you if you don't!"

"I...when I heard that you were going to war, I really didn't want you to go, so I went to see Gowland and Vivaldi both to try to get them to stop it. But, they called me a foreigner, so I was really mad at them. But, I really didn't want you to go to war, so I thought that if I went to the war zone that I'd be able to stop it. But then, you suddenly appeared."

He raised an eyebrow and laughed. "If you would've just said 'don't go' then I wouldn't have. Or did you not think about that?"

"There were a lot of things on my mind!"

"Alice, I love you."

"I...I like you. But! Just like you!"

The man laughed. "That' good enough."

-The End-


End file.
